Knitting machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. W. CLAY.

KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 277,004. Patented Mav 8.1883.

71? 27105565 lit/P611107.

4% law M v I gnaw; c. ma Ii:

dsaw/fw h N. PETERS. Phcla-l lhograbher. Washington. D. C.

KNITTING MACHINE.

Patented May. 8, 1883.

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Wibpesses.

N. PEKERS. PholuLilhngripher, Wuhington, n. r.

To all whom it may concern;

UNITED STATES A PATENT OFFICE;

. WILLIAM w. CLAY, on PARIS, ONTARIO, CANADA.

KNITTING-QMACi HINE.

SPECIFICATION forming eat of Letters Patent No. 277,004, dated May 8,1883.

a Application filed October 26,1882. :(No model.)

Be' it known that I, WILLIAM WILLIAMS CLAY, a subject of the Queen ofGreatBritaiu, residing at the town ot'Paris, in the county of Brant, inthe Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Knitting-Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to thatclass of knit ting-machines known as loop.spring-barb circular-knitting'machines and it has for its ,object toarrange mechanism adapted to be operated from someconvenient point ofthe machine by which the operation of the needles may be automaticallyaltered for the purpose of changing the stitch inthe knitting withoutstopping the machine; and the novelty consists in the construction andarrangement of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter setforth, andspecifically pointed outin the claims.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are two perspectiveviews of my improvedmachine, taken at different angles of sight. Fig. 3 is an enlargeddetailed view. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detailed view, exhibitingthe presserwheel, the adjustable blocks, and the parts of thelmachinebywhich they are directly acted upon. Fig. 5 is a plan view of theprcsserwheel.

As my invention relates purely to mechanism for changing the presserinto a tuck-presser or plain presser, as may be desired, and as I do notalter any portion of the knitting-machine exceptthose parts immediately'connected therewith, it is notjnecessary to describe in thisspecification the construction of the loopwheel spring-barbcircular-knitting machine further than will hereinafter appear necessaryto give a clear uuderstandinggof my invention.

Before descfibiu g indetail the'mechanism by which the pressers areautomatically changed into plain or tuck pressers, as desired, I willfirst describe the particular construction of the means bywhich thechange is effected and the arrangement of the mechanism immediatelyconnected therewith; H

In Fig. 4 is exhibited what I consider to be the most approved form ofmechanism a for changing the presser into a plain presser ortuck-presser, as may bede'sired. Fig. 4. shows a perspective detail ofan individual block and lever. In the latter figure the projection a ofthe block is made to fit into the notch-in the rim of the presser, so asto change'it into a plain presser or tuck-pressenas desired, isexhibited. This projection, it will be seen, is grooved in the end so asto fit closely against the barb and close it into the eye of the needle.

. The leverd has a notch, e, made at or about its center, which notchfits over a circular flange,f, made around the disk A, on the peripheryof which is cut the notches h to hold the block in its place," theflange forming a fulcrum on which the lever rocks, the distance betweenthe notches on the periphery of the wheel being such as will permit theinsertion of any number of adjustable blocks,b, according to the styleof the changes it is desired to makein the presser. When the blocks 11are in the position indicated in Fig. 4111c projections a on their endsfill up the notches h in the periphery of the tuck-presser A, and

change it into aplain presser. Consequently V as the presser-wheel Arevolves, the projections a come in contact with the barbs and closethem into the eyes of T1 the needles, and so allow the previously-formedloops on the stems of the needles to be cast off the needles. When it isdesired to withdraw the block b from action the inner end of the lever(i is pressed downwardly, which action causes the block b to recede outof line with theperiphery of the presser-wheel. Consequently the needlespreviously operated'upon by the block b are no longer so affected, andas a consequence the stitch of the machine is altered toa tuck-stitch.As shown in Fig. 4, the inner end.0f the lever d is inserted into acircular groove cut in the sleeve B. This sleeve isjournaled on thespindiet and revolves with the presser-wheel A.

D are two bolts, screwed intothe sleeve B, and, extending upwardly, arefastened at their upper endsto the sleeve E, also journaled on thespindle 0. It will thus be seen that by the vertical movement of thesleeve E a corresponding movementris imparted to the sleeve movement tothe said lever for-effecting the required change of the tuck-presserinto a plain presser, plained.

F is a lever pivoted to a post, G, projecting or vice versa aspreviously exup from the frame of the machine, and having one of itsends suitably connected, asindicated, or otherwise, to the sleeve E, sothat when the said barF is rocked upon its pivot the required verticaladjustment is imparted to the connected to the sleeve E. Through thisslot I insert a pin, H, which is adjustable within the slot, and is heldin any desired position by a jam-nut, or otherwise. 'rests upon thepivoted bar I. As the lever F in this arrangement is tilted by themovement of the pivoted bar I, it will be understood that by thelongitudinal adjustment of the pin H in the slot the movement of thelever F may be correspondingly increased or decreased at will.

J is a sliding bar, held in any suitable guides, K, and connected to thebar L, which is pivoted on a suitable bracket at L.

M is a pawl pivoted on the bottom of the bar L, immediately below thesliding bar J. This pawl M is curved, as indicated, and extends over thechain N.. This chain is fitted over the sprocket-wheel O, and is held inposition by a weighted sprocket-wheel, P,'prefthe spring K'to draw downthe outer end of the lever F, and thereby, by throwing up the oppositeend of the lever F, throw the blocks or-spriug-levers operated therebyinto action, as desired. The small end of the pawl M reerably situatedbelow the frame of themachine. As the sprocket-wheel 0 revolves, theendless chain N will of course travel with it. Consequently, by placinga stud or studs, P, on the chain, the movement of the lever F may be ef-1 fected in the following manner: As shown in a the drawings, the slideJ is extended below the pivoted bar 1. Consequently the end ofthe leverF, attached to the sleeve E, is depressed A spring, I 0, attached to thelever F, is designed to draw down the end of the lever F, to which it isatand the blocks thrown into action.

tached, immediately that the sliding bar J (which is shown in thedrawing) as supporting I the pivoted bar I is thrown out of the positionnecessary to constitute the said support. 2 In order to explain how thisaction is accom- 5 plished, I will assume that. the stud I isapproachi'ng the pawl M. When it reaches the large end of the pawl M,and has passed the point where the said pawl is pivoted to the bar L,,the small end. of the pawl M is thrown against the bracket R, whichforms a fulcrum for the pawl M and causes the said pawl, as 3 pressedupon by the stud P, to push back the sliding bar J clear of the pivotedbar I, which i will, as a consequence, fall, and thus permit mains inposition against the bracket R till the stud P has again made arevolution with the chain, when the said stud, by coming in contact withthe opposite side of the pawl M, causes the small end of the pawl M tomove over to the side remote from the bracket R,

The end of the pin H.

previously pushing outthe slidingbarJ, which action lifts the pivotedbar I, and through it, by tilting the lever F, once morebrings theblocks 1) out of action. I

As a simple means of imparting a suitablemovementtothesprocket-wheelO,andthrough it to the chain carrying thestud P, I place upon the cylinder of the machine a cam-plate, S,arranged to come in contact, on each revolution of the cylinder, with apin fixed to the lever T, which is pivoted upon the post U and heldagainst the cam by the spring V. On the opposite end of the lever T, Ipivot a ratchet-pawl, W, arranged to engage with the ratchet-wheel X,fixed to or forming part of the sprocket-wheel 0. At each revolution ofthe needle-cylinder the lever T is moved so as to cause the ratchet-pawlpivoted upon it to move the sprocket-wheelthe. distance of oneratchet-tooth. As each revolution of the nee: dle-cylinder produces oneor more rows of stitches corresponding to the number of feeders, it isonly necessary to place the stud or studs P in such a position on thechain that upon the number of rows desired being completed the said studwill come in contact with the pawl M, thereby imparting, as hereinbefore described, the required movement to throw tion.

What I claim as my invention is a 1. A presserwheel having tuck pressenotches or recesses formed. around its periphery, in combination withdevices constructed to fit into such notches and capable of adjust menttherein, and mechanism for operating said devices to throw them in orout of line with the periphery of the presser-wheel, whereby said wheelmay be converted into a plain or tuck presser, as desired, withoutstopping the machine, substantially as set forth.

2. A disk having tuck-presser notches in its periphery, in combinationwith a series. of

'95 i the blocks b and projections a in or out of ac-' blocksconstructed to fitin said notches, and

mechanism whereby the said blocks may be thrown out or on a line with orwithdrawn from the periphery of the presser-wheel at pre determinedperiods, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The presser-wheel A, provided with the flange f and tuck-pressernotches h, levers d, provided with notches e, and adapted to rest androck upon the flange f, blocks 1), hinged to the outer ends of thelevers, sleeve B, provided with a groove on its periphery adapted toengage the inner ends of said levers, spindle G, sleeve E, and bolts D,in combination with the post G, lever F, pivoted to said post andconnected at its inner end with the sleeve E, and mechanism connectedwith the vouter end of the lever F, adapted to rock said lever on 4.-The combination of the blocks bland sleeve Eand mechanism,snbstantiallyas described, connecting said blocks with the sleeve E,with the post G, lever F, pivotally securedthereto, one end ofwhichlever is connected to said sleeve, and the other end slotted, asdescribed,

l the pin H, arranged inxsaid slotted end and adapted to be moved nearerto or farther from the fulcrum thereof, and devices, substantially asdescribed, for *operatin g said lever, as set it forth.

.5. The combination, with theblocks b, sliding bar J, lever I, andmechanism, substantially as described, connecting said lever withtheblocks b, of the pivoted arm L, the pawl M, andpattern mechanism foroperating said et-wheel 0, chain N, stud or studs P,and mechanism forrotating said sprocket-wheel, the

combination being and operating substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

the purpose set forth.

" W. W. CLAY.

. Witnesses:

JOHN MACMILLAN, (Bus. 0. BALDWIN.

5 7. A presser-wheel'having formed on its upe per inner surface annularflange f, as and for

